Dog training position questions

I just interviewed for a position as a dog trainer, and I think I got the job (although I was told the store manager wants to meet me?) Anyway, I have a few questions.

First of all, are you paid for taking the training classes you have to take before working? What's the starting pay these days anyway? And as a part time trainer, how many hours per week will I be expected to work considering that the current trainer only works weekends? And do trainers have classes around the holidays? It seems unlikely that anyone would attend a class on Christmas Eve, but maybe there are people buying dogs as gifts who want to train them first?

And as far as selling classes goes, how many do I have to sell per week, and am I expected to approach every customer or just the ones who have dogs with them? Thanks for any help you can offer.

Hey I hope you get the job. I am a trainer. To answer some of your questions, yes you get paid to the training you are requiered to attend. They will give you some basic instore stuff and then you will be sent to an area trainer. You will get 2 weeks with the area trainer. You will be required to sell classes while you are being trained. That is what the main think will be. Selling.

Your hours will depend on the store. I am only given 24 hours a week. It is based on the gross sales of the store.

You will be required to work the holidays during December. You will work what ever your normal hours are. The store will close about 6 pm on Christmas eve and will be closed Christmas day. Same for new years. You will have low turn out for the classes but you will still be required to be there selling. There is a black out on all vacations during December.

The class quota depends on the store and what the store sold last year. Every store is different. You should approach every customer in the store and speak to them. Ask about there pets and go from there. Every person you talk to is a potential class sell. It could be them or someone they know. Make your self knowledgable about every item in the store and while you are helping them you let them know you are the dog trainer.

I know every store is different; but I am scheduled to work on holidays, but I do not teach classes on those days. I let my students know the week beforehand. I am the only trainer in the store, so I also just let my students know the week before I go on vacation. We simply take one week off. Sometimes I get scheduled those days (for example, coming up is Memorial Day and the Fourth of July). I will likely still be scheduled to work, but will be scheduled either hours for selling, or core or cashier. No one wants to be there in class, but these are normally great days to sell. I come from a small store; our plan is usually four classes per week. On Easter Sunday I did not have classes, but worked open to close, and sold three classes that day.

Did you see the new "training committment binder?" I was told it is nationwide and that all stores are suppose to be rolling this out for may. It tells you how many classes you are suppose to be starting based on your plan. My store is a small one, which is $500-$1000 per week; which is "1 1/2 paws" per week; that basically means we start one puppy class per week, and one other class every other week...beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Sometimes I have classes that have 8 dogs, sometimes two. I keep the lines of communication open, and sometimes move students around. I stress that the social aspect is really important. Usually I only ended up teaching the two weeks with one dog, then I will talk them into joining another class. With the new program, we are only offering weekday classes at 6, 7, and 8:00. It works out, because maybe they move from 6 to 8, so when you let them know it is better for them, they are willing.

If someone misses a class, sometimes I can have them come in a half hour before their class the following week. Sometimes I will let them know they can join a different class that week. I don't call students that miss classes, but if they call me I can help them. I recently had a student that missed two weeks in a row, and then called me saying they didn't think they could make it this week either. They had missed weeks 4 and 5. Her class was at 6 on monday. I told her if she took this week off, she could come in at 7 the following Monday and pick up with that class, which would be on week 4. I keep my own book, a daily planner, everywhere with me. I write in it the times I have class each day and what week they are on. That way I have a quick reference.

I understand the "fish" philosophy (lol), but you have to do a little bit of math. I am sure they push the whole "5 dogs per class" thing where you are too. But if your plan is 10 classes per week, then you should have 2 classes starting per week. When I first started my store had 3 trainers, and were offering 3 class starts per week, and then additional int. and adv. classes. That is insane. Our average sales at that time were 5 per week, and then we were being reprimanded for never meeting 5 dogs per class. It didn't make sense. If we were going to have 3 classes start every week, we would have to sell a min. of 15 classes per week; know what I mean? You might want to ask your manager if the new training comittment binder is in your store and if you can see it. The new calendar has been rolled out in our store. It is pretty cool, but we were pretty much doing it already on paper. It is just less leg work now. Question.....how many classes are you curretly running in a given week?

Our plan is usually 4 or 5 classes a week. It is very slow. I am the only trainer and have never had a back up. I was hired as back up but the other trainer was fired before I got back from training. We have a new employee that my manager wants to send for training but he is procrastinating. I really wanted a bilingual person since half my classes are spanish speakers. I try, but I am not fluent.

I usually start two or three classes a week. Since I only work 23 hours a week I have very little time to do other things like paperwork, cleaning, and generally preparing homework and binders.

thedogtrainerlady in Texas said: Our plan is usually 4 or 5 classes a week. It is very slow. I am the only trainer and have never had a back up. I was hired as back up but the other trainer was fired before I got back from training. We have a new employee that my manager wants to send for training but he is procrastinating. I really wanted a bilingual person since half my classes are spanish speakers. I try, but I am not fluent.

I usually start two or three classes a week. Since I only work 23 hours a week I have very little time to do other things like paperwork, cleaning, and generally preparing homework and binders.